U.S. women make most of second chance, win gold in 4×100 meters

Brazilian fans seemingly have no hostility toward American sprinters, however.

Athletics – Final – Women’s 4 x 100m Relay Final – Olympic Stadium – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – 19/08/2016.

The squad-comprised of Olympic long jump champion Tianna Bartoletta, Olympic 400-meter silver medalist Allyson Felix, English Gardner and Bowie-became the first American team to win back-to-back relay titles since the USA won in 1992 and 1996. The U.S. women’s 4×100 team will take the position of either the first or eighth lane-considered by runners as the most tricky among the lanes.

When Bolt received the yellow baton from Ashmeade for his final run down the straightaway, he was even, maybe a step behind, Aska Cambridge of Japan and Trayvon Bromell of the United States. That led to the re-run, and the Americans qualified fastest, taking the place of China in the final.

Gardner, the former OR sprinter, was awaiting boos when the four sprinters were introduced. “Very relieved”, she said.

“It’s special”, Bartoletta said. She added that the cheers were uplifting.

“We’ll just get out there and perform”, she said.

Not only had they retained their Olympic title – the foursome of Bartoletta, Felix, Bianca Knight and Carrmelita Jeter had won in London four years ago, – but they brought back some golden memories.

“I just know that if something is “protestable” you have to finish. Maybe if I had one more step I could’ve, but I was falling as I was going to her”.

The competition came hours after Russian two-time Olympic champion Yelena Isinbayeva, who was barred from competing, announced her retirement and said whoever won would not have earned “a proper gold medal” due to her absence.

After appealing the mishap to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), they found that the Brazilian relay team did in fact obstruct the American’s second baton exchange. “Let’s take full advantage of it”. The victory by the US marked the first time that a 4×100 team won out of lane 1 at the Olympic Games since the USA men did it in 1972.

A despairing Felix threw the baton in the general direction of Gardner as they approached the end of the handover zone but it missed its target and tumbled to the track.